Automatic vehicle-brake



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1. V. A. KEMPER. AUTOMATIC VEHICLE BRAKE.

No. 533,649. Patented Feb. 5, 1895.

Lmmwmumofon n c (No Mdel.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

V. A. KEMPER. AUTOMATIC VEHICLE BRAKE.

,649. Patented Peb. 5, 1895.

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19x72 gi P Wgesses lhvrTnn STATES PATENT @raient VIRGIL A. KEMPER, OFMARKSBURY, KENTUCKY.

AUTOMATIC VEHICLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters 'Patent N o. 533,649, datedFebruary 5, 1895.

` Application find May 5,1894. sein No. 510.195. on man.)

To al whom, t rrr/ay concern;

Be it known that I, VIRGIL A; KEMPER, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Marksbury, in the county of Garrard and State of Kentucky,have invented a new and useful Automatic Vehicle-Brake, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in automatic vehicle brakes.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive vehicle brake, capable of being automatically applied indescending a hill, and adapted to be readily thrown off the wheels whendesired.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of f parte hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of arunning gear provided with an automatic brake constructed in ac`cordance with this invention. Fig. 2 isa reverse plan View. Fig. 3 isalongitudinal sectional view, showing the brake off. Fig. is atransverse sectional view on line :i3-:c of Figi.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theliguresof the drawings.

1 designates a brake bar provided at its ends with brake shoes 2, andsuspended adjustably from a transverse bar 3 by means of eye-bolts 4land links 5. The eye-bolts are provided above and below the transversebar 3 with nuts; and the links engage eyes ofthe brake bar and permitthe latter to swing rearward to engage the hind wheels. Then the brakeis applied, by means hereinafter to be described, the brake shoes areheld in contact with the wheels by spiral springs G, arranged atopposite sides of the running gear and connected at their front ends tothe brake bar, and at their rear ends by links 7 with the rear axle.

The brake shoes are thrown olf the wheels by a rock-shaft 8, disposedtransversely of the running gear, located in suitable bearin gs beneaththe rear hounds, and provided intermediate of its ends with a loop 9,forming an arm and connected with the brake bar by a connecting bar 10.The connecting bar 10 has a forked front portion 11, the ends of whichare threaded, passed through the brake bar and provided at the front andrear edges of the latter with nuts, whereby the brake bar is adjustableto take up the wear on the brake shoes. The rear end 12 of theconnecting rod is provided with a bearing eye oppositely curved toreceive the loop or bend 9 of the rock-shaft, and the upper and lowerportions of the eye are extended beyond the engaged portion of the loopor bend, and are perforated to receive a connecting bolt 13 or othersuitable fastening device, for retaining the loop or bend 9 in thebearing, the lower portion being removable. At one end the rock-shaft isprovided with a downward eX- tending arin 14, to which may be connectedanysuitable means forturning the rock-shaft to throw the brake shoes offthe wheels.

Intermediate of its ends, and on its upper faee'the connecting bar 10 isprovided with a shoulder l5, which is engaged by the rear end of alongitudinally disposed trip lever 16, which is fulcrumed in a box 17 atthe bottom thereof, and is provided at its rear end with a tooth 18 toengage the shoulder of the connecting bar or rod. The box 17, which maybe of any desired construction is provided in its bottom with alongitudinal opening to receive the trip lever, which is perforatedintermediate of its ends to receive the fulcrurning pivot or pin 19arranged in suitable perforations of the box. 1n the box, which isdisposed longitudinally of the running gear, and located beneath thehounds, is a ball or weight 2O for operating the trip lever, which hasits frontend 2l extended upward into the box through the openingof thebottom thereof. lVhen the running gear inclines forward in descending ahill or declivity, the operating ball rolls forward, and depresses thefront end of the trip lever raising the rear end against the action of aspring 22, and releasing the connecting bar, and permitting the spiralsprings 6 to apply the brake. rlhe box is secured by any suitable meansbeneath the hounds, and the spiral spring 22, which engages the upperedge of the rear end of the trip lever, is adapted to force the tooth 1Sdownward into engagement with the shoulder 15, when the connecting baris moved forward by the rock-shaft to throw the brake shoes off IOO -ythe wheel, whereby the brakefbar will he held i forwardfagainsttheaetion of theepiral spring f 6, until the parteareagain ytripped bytheoperatingbail. -f f' f f f t wiillbefse'enfthat thebrake and-inexpensive in constrnetion, vrthatiliis auto-4 ymatie in operation',and that it is adapted to.r be yreadily,'applied tothe'ordinary"construc-y ftion-'ofrnnning gear.

. 1;In aveh'ielebralre,lthe eonabinatien with if Changes in the form,preportion, and the minor details'of construction inayberesorted .f :toWithout departingk fronilthe principle or f saeritieing anyofVVtheadvan-tagees of this im i rvention. Y Y.

. .whatielaine@r y a running-gear, f of i a brake-bar :suspended Ytlrleret'rom and located in advanoeof Vthe. himV f wheelsyfspringefer:toreing'the brakeebar: in .engagementwith the #Wheelaflai triplever forf holding the brake-.bar oft the wheels andrlie-Y if Inay brake, theycombination with arunf ninggear,r ra brake bar provided with,brake-Yiehoeeandr arranged in advance of the hindy wheels, springs vfor,forcing, the; brake-shoes against. the wheeleaftrip ieverarrangedlon-yif gitndinally ot the ,rnnninggearand having Lits rear enddetaehablyeonneoted with the brakeebar kand having its frontend extendedupward, and an operating ball arranged to roll forward when the runninggear is in an inclined position to engage the front end of the triplever to detach the rear end of the same, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

3. In a vehicle brake, the combination with a running gear, of a brakebar located in advance of the hind wheelsg springs for forcingthefbrakebar against thewheelafa transverse roek-sliaft,laeonn'eeting'bar extending fro in' the rook+shattethe brakelbarandrprovided Y Y f 1 intermediate of itsrendswith a shmilder,aiy i Yleondisposed longitndinailyof the running gear and located abovetheVconnecting `bai-ga trip lever fulernmed on the box lat'the botv` v fktoni tliereoandprovided at its reariend with f f a toothtoengagetheehoulderofthe connect '1 Y yingbaigand anoperating haii arrangedwithinV f -f the bex andk adapted to engagefthe front `end f f otltheitripr ylever,A substantially as described. -f f 4f. In a vehiclebrakea the eombinationwith f 1 v i a running geariatransverse-barsecured to ff the saine, a brake bar adjuetably Suspended f Y from:thetransverse rbai-fand `provided with ifhrake: shoes; and:loeatedziinladvance of the hind `wheele,.springs conneetedwith therearaxieandr thebrake-barforforcing theorakey Y shoesiuengagementwith thehind wh'eelega r' transverse freek-shaft journaled on the Vrrnn-f `ninggear-and-gno'vided.inter'rnediatef.yoEiteV f i' ends with a loop er bendfand'havingfat one i Y endy an arrnaconnecting.barfprevidedfinterf v Y ff rmediate of :its: endevon'iis: npper'ace'with a v f Y f f .f Shouldervand having its: rear end 'attached te the loop or bend 0E therook-shafty :and pref i vided with aforkedfrontsportionadjustably`fseeuredwith they ,bralne-bariy a krboer ioeat-ect: f1: .abovetheeonne'eting barral trip' lever-#fuk -f f ernmed Jorr the bottoninofthe bex and yprevidedat `its' rear endfwithy a4 tnothfforengagft r ingtheehonlder' -of the eonneeting ban' an V:operating bali: loeated in:the box and'adapted f Vto engagey the frontendro the trip ievleryand aspring for forcing the rear end of the trip lever downward,substantially as described. In testimony that I claim the foregoing asmy own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

VIRGIL A. KEMPER. Witnesses:

W. H. KEMPER, W. H. WHERRITT.

